Shared Warmth
by Sparks101
Summary: Ashe just wanted to be helpful so when he learned that more scouts were needed, he was quick to volunteer and got more of a mission than he bargained for.


With the Leicester Alliance being assimilated into the Kingdom, it was decided that for the time being Fhirdiad would be the army's base of operations. Much had to be discussed and politics to work out so the leaders were incredibly busy, while the soldiers were left with a lot of free time. Many enjoyed the much-needed break but not Ashe. He couldn't, not when Byleth was constantly running around. He wanted to be of help to her but she would always dismiss him and often remarked on how he should enjoy his free time. It was a painful reminder to him that she was someone of great importance and he…he was just someone lucky enough to have been a student in her class, once upon a time.

Even though he couldn't be of help to her, he still kept himself busy elsewhere, wither it be helping with cooking, guarding, or other such things. He hoped in some way such tasks would have helped her, even if it was a minuscule amount. One day he was lucky enough to over hear Byleth and Shamir discussing the need for more scouts and he was quick to volunteer. Much to his surprise his former professor was utterly against it and wouldn't listen to either him or Shamir; in the end she was overruled and he was selected to be a scout and she made her disappointment known through a constant frown.

The next evening, he was setting off. At the gate, he doubled check he had everything when a familiar voice called out to him, "Are you ready to head out?" He rapidly spun around to make eye contact with Byleth.

"Professor?! What are you doing here?" He asked and nearly dropped his bag in the process.

"Isn't it obvious?" She adjusted her backpack to draw his attention to it. "I am your partner for this mission."

"I can handle it myself." The last thing he wanted was to give her more work but he couldn't bury the joy that bubbled within him at the thought of working alone with her.

Walking passed him, she only spoke when she was a few steps away, "You misunderstand, I do not doubt your abilities." She stopped to glance at him over her should and gave him a small smile. "You do recall that is why I was against you becoming a scout, no? How your talents are wasted on such a mission." She continued on her way again and he had to jog to catch up to her. "Scouting missions are always done in at least groups of two. That way should a scout die the other will be able to pass on the information."

They walked in silence as he processed what she said until something dawned on him. "If," the sound of his voice caused her to cock her head towards him, "my skills are too great to be wasted on this mission than what about you? You are worth like ten of me!"

She stopped to stare at him for a bit before she continued on her way again. "Don't sell yourself short, Ashe. You are a lot more skilled than you give yourself credit for." His cheeks warmed at her comment and a small smile danced on his lips. "Also, I needed a break from everything. Politics are just not for me." She turned to smile at him and it only caused his cheeks to warm some more. "Don't tell Dimitri I said that. I don't want him feeling anymore guilty than he already is."

While they walked along their path they chatted about various things, well mostly her, Ashe was a bit to conscious of how they were alone to properly contribute to a conversation. It wasn't the first time that they were alone but it was the first time for such a long period of time; before he would be lucky enough to get to spend an hour alone with her. A goofy grin was plastered on his face, while his stomach was in knots and it was always flipping whenever their eyes meet. He thought he outgrew that but it only seemed to have grown stronger over the years of her absence.

"Ashe?" He jumped out of his thoughts when he heard his name. He noticed that she had stopped to spread a map over a stump, while he kept going. "You weren't listening, were you?" Blushing, he made his way over to her and focused on the map. She paused to watch him for a bit before continuing and he was grateful that she didn't ask any questions. "For our mission we are going to scout this area," her finger traced over a circled area, "we are to see if we can find any sings of remaining Empire soldiers, enemy scouts, or anything else of importance." He nodded and she rolled up the map to put it away.

"By 'importance' what do you mean?"

"Not much really. Maybe a good area filled with berries or something to help replenish food supplies, every little bit helps. Maybe take out a dangerous animal so that the citizens of Fhirdiad are safe. Things like that." They continued on their way again, leaving the path to go deeper into the forest. "I honestly don't think we will run into anything."

As night grew longer the two continued to follow their map. It was eerily quiet and it started to weigh on the archer. He hoped that his partner was right and that they wouldn't run into anything but he couldn't shake his unease. She had remained stoic as ever and it made it impossible for him to bring up his worries.

A shiver ran down her spine and she rubbed her arms for warmth. "Are you cold? Would you like my coat?" She offered him a small smile but shook her head. "Are you sure? I grew up in Faerghus so I'm used to the cold."

"It's alright. I don't want you to be cold." He pouted and she smiled, making it hard for him to keep his pout. "I just wasn't expecting it to be this cold in spring."

"Yeah, it looks like its going to be a long winter." He fingered the top button on his jacket but she simply shook her head and pressed on. "I have an extra blanket," he said when he remembered he brought one and started to pull it out but stopped when he heard her chuckling.

"Ashe, I'm fine, really." He frowned. He just wanted to be useful to her but she always seemed to never need him. He was jealous of those she always asked for help from. He knew he wasn't the strongest, the most talented, or anything but surely there was at least something he could help her with. Something that would have her come to him, instead, of him always chasing her.

Suddenly, his hand was jerked forward, pulling him away from his thoughts, along with him. Before he could understand what was going on, he was pushed further behind her. Spinning around quickly he saw her holding up her sword to block the sharp fangs from a Giant Wolf. Before Ashe could even voice his confusion, the monster slashed at his professor and knocked her into the river that they were following along.

He didn't have time to call out for her before the beast rushed him. Swiftly, he dashed to the right, out of the way of the oncoming attack but further away from where she was knocked too. He readied his bow to strike, when movement from the river caught his attention. The Sword of the Creator erupted from the water with enough force to shoot the water high into the sky, the blade flew forward at an alarming speed and slashed a crossed the wolf's face. The beast cried out and the archer took the opportunity to launch a few arrows at it. As if sensing its inevitable doom, the monster fled into the woods.

With the threat gone, he raced over to the swordswoman, who was barely getting out of the water. He didn't bother asking if she was okay as it was fairly obvious, she wasn't based on her uncontrollable shivering and blood dripping from his arm. Silently he ushered her further into the forest to a spot that was dry.

"Professor, you need to get out of those clothes," he ordered as he pulled his spare blanket from his bag. With a simple nod she went into a slightly secluded area to underdress while he dug into his bag for some bandages and a Vulnerary. In almost a haste she came back, wrapped in the blanket that was now wet from both water and blood. He gestured for her to sit on his bag, as it was the only thing around to keep her off the ground.

He held out his hand for her injured arm and when she handed it to him the blanket slid back and revealed that she was completely naked. His eyes flew up to the tree tops and he face was incredibly warm. "I'm guess you didn't bring a spare change of clothes?" he asked only to break the awkward silence.

"No," she answered softly, "I didn't have the hindsight to do so." He knew it didn't matter if she did have extra clothes or not as they, too, would most likely be soaked along with her bag. He regretted on deciding not bring his spare clothes, that were sitting on his bed at the moment.

Taking a deep breath, he brought his eyes back down on her and put all his focus on to bandaging her arm. He would have proudly like to proclaim that his focus remained entirely on her injury but he couldn't; despite his best effort he couldn't defeat his urges and stole a quick glance or two. When he was done treating her wound, her arm retreated back into the blanket and his view was lost. He quickly unbuttoned his coat and gave it to her, which she gratefully took.

He left her so she could get dress in peace and to fetch some firewood. He wanted to curse at how difficult it was for him to find good firewood; he never had a problem before and yet when he needed it most it was elusive. All he could find were small pieces and he frustrated for not bringing an axe. At one point he was about ready to snap some of his arrows and use them, along with the few small pieces he had, but his rational mind stopped him. In a small admit of defeat he decided to return back to her and at least get a small fire going.

Ashe rushed back to the small area he left Byleth. He relaxed a bit when he noticed that she had built a small, and very weak fire with the few twigs in the area. A warm, bubbling feeling built up in his stomach as he saw her wearing his coat, and then a massive blush spread over his cheeks as he realized that she was not wearing anything underneath. Unable to look at her, he walked over to the fire and dropped some of his wood in it and it slightly grew stronger.

"Hey," he stopped to clear his throat as his voice was a bit too husky for his liking, "are you-" He stopped again when he looked at her, she was still shivering terribly but now her lips were starting to turn blue. "Professor!" he shouted in alarm as that was the only thing he could think to do at the moment. Frantically his eyes scan the area for anything that he could use to help but the only thing slightly useful was his bedroll and he rushed towards it. Holding it in his hands, he came to the frustrated conclusion that it wouldn't be enough to warm her. He looked back at her and realized something; she was still shivering, which meant she wasn't in an extreme danger yet so body heat and his bedroll could be enough. Wordlessly, he came back to her and unrolled his bedroll for her.

"We need to get you warmed up quickly." He gestured to his bed and with more effort than he would have like to see she was able to crawl in. "Forgive me," he said as he crawled in with her. It was a very tight fit and the only way they could both fit was if he wrapped his arms around her and had her sort of lay on him. So focused was he on saving her that he wasn't really aware of their positions. "I'm sorry but bear with it, please."

Byleth shook her head and her damp hair rubbed his chin a little; he wished that they had some way to dry it. "No, I'm sorry," she said and her voice was harsh but relief still washed over him at the sound of it. "I'm just a giant burden."

"Nonsense! You saved me remember?" She opened her mouth to counter but he wouldn't have it. "Don't worry about it. So long as you are safe, I am happy." With wide eyes she looked at him before her cheeks were tinted red and she buried her face into his chest. Nothing more was shared between them as they basked in each other's presence. Absentmindedly he ran his fingers through her hair, and wished for it to hurry up and dry.

He nearly lost himself in the peaceful moment when he heard her faint breathing. At first it lulled him in, until his rational mind took over and alerting him to the dangers. "Professor!" He jolted her awake and guilt struck him briefly when he saw the terror in her eyes. "I'm sorry," he was quick to say in calm tone. When he saw her expression took on her more normal look, he relaxed. "It's just not safe for you to sleep when you're so cold." She pouted slightly but nodded and he found her adorable.

"I know, but you running your fingers through my hair was so soothing that I just couldn't help myself. It's quiet relaxing, see?" She pulled her arms free from his tight grasp and slid into his hair to copy his gesture. The young man's face was as bright as a tomato and all of his thoughts ceased. His heart was pounding in his chest, threatening to break free from its confinement at any moment. Her fingers stopped and he was able to let out the breath that was caught in his throat. "Ashe?" His heart almost broke through with a sudden thrust, at the sound of his name upon her lips. "Do you not like it?"

"No!" His voice betrayed him with its squeakiness but it was his own sudden outburst that truly betrayed him. "I loved it!" Taking a few deep breaths, he willed his heart to steady but he was sure it wouldn't returned to its normal pace, not with their current situation. Tilting her head to the side she gave him a pout before retracting her arms. Silently he cursed himself for allowing such a wonderful moment to end.

"If you dislike it, it's alright."

"No!" He grabbed her hand, halting their further retreat. Green eyes stared into emerald eyes and he hoped it would convey all the feelings he felt for her. Slightly gripping her hand tighter he spoke again but in a much quieter tone, "I honestly loved it, just as I love everything you do." His face heated up again as he realized he took his confession one step to far. He was ready to shoot off several rapid explanations for what he said but all thoughts left his mind when he saw her smile. Her lips were a nice, plump, and a lovely shade of pink, perfect for a kiss. That thought was quickly squashed when he really noticed the color. "Your lips are pink! You're out of the danger zone." Her smile grew and his heart rate speed up again. "I guess you can go back to sleep if you want." As if waiting for permission a yawn escaped her.

It didn't take her long before she drifted back to sleep. Now hyper aware of their situation, he tried to move his hips away from her as to not bother her with the unwanted guest. It was all but impossible to reposition his hips as she had one leg draped over his and he was already pushing the limits of his bedroll. Sighing he accepted the position and tried to focus his thoughts on anything but they would eventually fall back to the small peak he got of her or the fact that she was completely naked under his coat. He groaned out his frustration and demanded that dawn hurry up and come.

Dawn came far to slowly for his liking. In a soft tone he tried to awake her but she didn't respond. Looking down at her for the first time since she went to sleep, he saw the redness in her cheeks and hesitantly he placed the back of his head on her forehead, she was hot. With a bit of force, he once again tried to rouse her and she did, albeit weakly.

"Forgive me," he couldn't help but apologize we her tired eyes finally meet his. "You have a fever. I think it's best if we hurry back to the castle." She gave him a small nod and tried to maneuver herself in a way that would let him slip through more easily. He made quick work of cleaning their little makeshift campsite. A frowned was plastered on his face when discovered that her clothes were still damp and thus to cold for her to wear and so he swiftly stuffed them in her still wet bag. He tried extremely hard to not acknowledge her small clothes, the stuffed at the bottom of her bag.

With the little hassles away, Ashe bent down low to make it easier for her to get onto his back. She was hesitant and so he looked back at her. "Hurry now. We shouldn't be wasting so much time." She frowned at his comment. "I'm fine really." She still didn't budge and the thought of just carrying her bridal style crossed his mind but he quickly chased it away. "Please Professor, we need to get you to a doctor." Her frown stayed but she gave him a nod before climbing onto his back. She offered him a small apology but he paid it no mind as he made sure she was secured before taking off.

He tried to bring her comfort with small talk and she contributed a bit. He told her about what he did for the last five years and how his younger siblings were doing, it was all stuff he wanted to tell her when they first reunited but never had the chance. His cheeks warmed as she rested her head on his shoulder and her warm breath tickled his exposed neck as she told him how proud of him, she was.

He wanted that moment to last forever and yet he wanted more. He desired a closeness to her that he was afraid to put into words. Done was he with their student and teacher relationship and yet he knew it was foolish to want more. He was the one that clung to that relationship. As much as he wanted to call her by her name, he was to much of a coward to do so and would always slip back to the safe title. _Knights are brave_, he would always chide himself, whenever he failed to call her name. His frustrations weighed him down and ruined the wonderful moment they were having.

"Ashe get down!" He didn't have a chance to react because the sudden shift of her weight onto his shoulders had him falling forward and she rolled off once he made contact with the ground. He was barely able to lift his face up when a massive tree flew over them. Looking in the direction of where the tree came from, he finally noticed the Giant Wolf that descended upon them. "It's not the same one," she answered before could even think to ask the question, "the one from yesterday should have a large gash across its face."

Swiftly, he scrambled onto his feet and the large beast howled and soon the forest was filled with similar sounds. "Dammit! Why are there so many?!"

"The Empire, maybe?" he answered with the only thing that came to mind as he knocked an arrow into his bow. She stiffened at his answer for a second before she rushed to stand in front of him, with her sword drawn.

"Go back to the castle and let everyone know." She didn't spare him the slightest glance as she barked her order.

"What about you?" He didn't budge.

"I will only slow you down. Now go!"

"But-"

"Ashe, you signed up for a scouting mission and that what the mission entails. Information is the highest priority!" She rushed at the beast with slow and unsteady steps. Frozen in place all he could do was watch her swing her sword with such little force; it struck its target but if it did any damage it wasn't obvious. Gritting his teeth, he fought all his chaotic thoughts. He knew that information was important, it could even be a matter of life or death, but…but he couldn't just leave her; he couldn't lose her, not again. That was not the kind of knight he wanted to be.

At the top of his lungs he bellowed out a battle cry and fired an arrow piercing the wolf's eye. The beast cried out and began to thrash around. Taking advantage of the situation he scooped up Byleth in his arms and ran for the castle. He ignored all her protest as he continued to run as fast as he could but she just wouldn't stop. "There is no way I could ever abandon the woman I love!" And with that shout he silenced her, but he dared not look at her as his focus was entirely on getting to the castle.

The massive walls of the city came into sight and a smile grew on his face. He was grateful that they didn't get very far on their mission. As they drew closer, they could hear the sounds of soldiers preparing for a battle. His heart sunk at the sound and he pushed his body forward with the last of his strength.

Dimitri was the first to spot them and rushed towards them. "Ashe! Professor! Professor where have you been?" he asked, right when he caught up to them. Puzzled Ashe was only mildly aware of the prince gently taking Byleth out of his arms. She mumbled something about leaving a note and the archer frowned when he understood what was going on. "Professor!" Ashe wanted to scold her too but Dimitri's strong tone was enough, for now anyway.

"Your Highness there's monsters!" Ashe blurted out as he suddenly remembered. The prince turned his head slightly and nodded.

"Yes, we are already aware of them. Gilbert just took a squadron of soldiers to take care of them." Relief washed over him and he nearly collapsed from his exhaustion because of it. "We are actually in the middle of building a search and rescue team for-" Dimitri didn't bother finishing the thought as he glared at the woman in his arms, who in turned was trying to sink into herself.

After taking a small break to catch his breath, the archer jogged to catch up to the prince. "Professor you weren't assigned as my partner?" She let her head fall back so she could look at him and gave him a sheepish grin.

"I'm sorry," she answered. "I just didn't want you to go on a dangerous mission without me. I wanted, no needed, to know that you are safe."

"Seriously…" He couldn't help the smile and blush that danced on his face.

"Are either of you hurt?" Dimitri asked and broke the moment but Ashe didn't mind and explained the situation. "Honestly Professor, you vanish and come back with a fever? You are more troublesome than I remember but than again I guess I'm one to talk." Dimitri made his way over to the infirmary with the smaller man slowly trudging behind, his exhaustion was starting to get the better of him.

"Oh!" Ashe's little sudden outburst caused Dimitri to stop. "The professor is going to need a change of clothes." Briefly Dimitri looked over his shoulders at the other man. Unable to meet his gaze Ashe looked towards the ground with red cheeks as he recalled the image that was sure to keep him up at night, Byleth in the blanket.

* * *

This story had been buzzing around in my head for awhile now and so I finally decide to write it and I don't like how it came out…. But I hope you enjoyed it at least.


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